Each police command in the country has an anti-kidnapping squad, apart from the special anti-robbery Squad (SARS). Also, there is a special anti-crime squad set up by the Inspector-General of Police. In all,  over 1,000 armed police are drafted to these squads. Yet this specialised criminality still persists in the country. A peep into the Nigeria police crime documentation statistically shows that, in 2014, a total of 1,767 kidnap cases were recorded nationwide. Records for the year 2015 are yet to be compiled and one is quick to ask, how did they come about such a figure, compared with the reported cases  of kidnapping around the country? It is assumed that not all abductions find their way into the police record, or it is either the police recorder deliberately omitted these figures or the police as an institution played pranks so that researchers would be deceived into believing that kidnapping is almost non-existent. It very obvious that the police of today, unlike the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  that  proactively informs members of the public to avoid criminal activities. If the police public relations department knows its onions, criminality among our youths would have been drastically reduced. I remember during their days as Force Public relations officers Tunji Alapini,  late Haz Iwendi and  Frank Odita had programmes  for educational institutions where  students were lectured on the evils and penalty for criminal activities. This is the right time to resurrect such programmes in our educational institutions. Today, private institutions are openly retrenching their staff, same with banking institutions. Today, millions of our youths are roaming the streets armed with their certificates, searching for jobs that are not in sight. Today, parents are struggling to feed their children, the economic situation in the country has squeezed  life out of many and hope is fading away. Years back, when the economy was booming, crime rate, especially robbery, was an everyday activity. How would we explain such today that money is scarce, it means criminality would be on the increase as we step into the Christmas period. Avoiding kidnappers these season is a personal resolve by being extra-security-conscious. Being security-conscious entails a lot because personal security is determined by how careful one can be. You can’t claim to be careful when, while driving, you fail to lock up your doors. You can’t claim to be security-conscious when, while in the house, you forget to lock your doors. You cannot claim to be security-conscious when you are embroiled in land, business and political disputes yet leave your flanks open to your enemies. Your security starts with you before the police is invited into the situation. So be security-conscious!

Victimologists will tell you that whatsoever happens to you is directly traceable to your disposition and you should be held accountable. For instance, you should be blamed for walking in the dark bush or street when you know that criminals would be lurking in dark areas either to attack, rape or disposes you of your belongings. You should be blamed for not fixing security in your car or park the car without properly locking it and giving car snatchers the opportunity to either vandalise or remove the car. You should be blamed for displaying important items in your car. Also, you should be blamed if you carelessly forgot to lock your doors or windows before going to bed at night. Who would you blame, if  you carelessly board a taxi cab without a number plate? Who would you blame if  you delegate an unknown person to help you pick your children from their school and the unknown person turns out to be an enemy (an agent of kidnappers)?

According to former Inspector-General of police, Mr. Tafa Balogun, “Most of the causes of  kidnapping and security lapses in our society are due to wrong attitude to security-consciousness.” He opined that security should be introduced in our school curriculum just like civics education, “When people are security-conscious, they will help to solve and nip in the bud most security problems in the society. Being security-conscious  should be the inculcated right of every citizen.

Concluded

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EFCC’s Ibrahim Magu and his patriotic zeal 

It is becoming critically clear, though some people hold the view that the Presidency is beating the drum that is producing the music that Malam Ibrahim Magu, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  (EFCC), is dancing to, the vigour with which he is dancing to the music should not be discountenanced because either the Presidency or Magu  could be said to be propelled by simple patriotic zeal to stamp out corruption in our society. It was the Holy Bible that said, “No man does these things without the spirit of God in him,” in other words, no man can fight corruption if there is no patriotic zeal in him. We have witnessed past leaders of the commission and we can assess their dance steps and the vigour with which they fought corruption.  We have likewise seen past administrations, especially the one that failed to properly define corruption by calling it what exactly it was. Since its establishment, none of the leaders of the commission, despite the  noticeable snags in their administration, exceeded the first hundred days in office before they were confirmed by the Senate. Confirming an officer is often based on achievements on the assignment and ability to understand the role the officer is expected to play in office. This being the case, it is becoming very worrisome that, despite the fact that the Presidency has transmitted the letter of  Magu’s confirmation to the National Assembly since April, nothing has come out of it.Here is an officer who despite his non-confirmation remains dogged, focused and nuncompromising in fighting corruption. Should the pluses of Magu at the EFCC not contribute to quickening his confirmation? Confirming him would further ginger him and his men to increase the war against corruption as promised by the President. The message should be avoided that Magu’s determination in fighting corruption is working against a man that is patriotism exemplified.?

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